Dera moves SC for protection, judges say 'sort out politically'

The Dera Sacha Sauda-Sikh row reached the Supreme Court today with the Sirsa-based religious sect seeking protection for all its premises even as the judges said "these are matters to be sorted out politically at the government level."

The Sauda moved the Apex court with just a day left to meet the May 27 deadline set by the Sikh high priests to close down the deras across the country in the current stand-off between the two groups.

A Bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice DK Jain said such type of matters are to be looked into by the government.

The court made this observation after a petition was filed by Abhijit Bhagat, a trustee and vice-chairman of the Dera. The court initially fixed June 4 for next hearing but was rescheduled for next Monday when the counsel for the Dera pressed for an early date.

He alleged that the Punjab government has not taken any step against the threat and instead was supporting the ruling Akali Dal.

The stand off was triggered following Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's alleged act of insult to tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. A public interest litigation was also filed seeking protection to the lives and properties of both Sikhs and followers of the Sacha Dera Sauda cult.

The court said both the petitions will be heard together.

Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal today demanded that the Central government and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh play a "positive and active role" for peaceful solution to the standoff between followers of Dera Sacha Sauda and various Sikh organisations.

"The Centre should come forward...It's a matter of national interest," SAD acting chief Sukhbir Singh Badal told reporters in Chandigarh while reacting to repeated advisories sent by the Centre to Punjab government to ensure peace.

"The Centre and the PM should play a positive and active role to defuse the ongoing crisis," Sukhbir, the son of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, said.

"It (the standoff) involves a community that had played a significant role in the building of the nation," he said.

Sukhbir said he was monitoring the situation on an hourly basis and stressed that the top priority of the SAD-BJP government was to ensure peace. He also sought cooperation from all political parties in defusing the situation.

He alleged that "whenever terrorism raised its head in any state, the Congress was found behind it...Congress is responsible for terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and in Punjab which witnessed violence for about two decades."

Asked about the alleged blasphemous act by the head of the Sirsa-based sect, he said, "no Sikh will accept anyone hurting his religious sentiments."

About the Sikh clergy's religious edict demanding vacation of all Deras of the sect by May 27, Sukhbir exuded confidence that a solution would come but added that the edict was binding on all Sikhs.